Merapi volcano erupts on average every four years. The last eruption occurred in 2010, resulting in devastating flow-on effects to the riverside kampung in Yogyakarta. Millions of cubic metres of pyroclastic material were swept down the river, clogging and raising the level of sediment on the riverbed. Now, in the tropical wet season, the river is easily flooded and water overflows onto the low-lying lands of “Kricak”. The dangers of floods affect not only the simple infrastructure of the slum but are also a severe health risk to the Kricak people.
In July 2013, University Gadjah Mada held an international Summer School program to ‘enhance the role of young Health Professionals on Disaster Medicine and Management.’ This was an internationally recognised program, with students from Germany, Austria, Egypt, Czech Republic, Malaysia, Japan, Spain and Slovenia. PCI collaborated with this program for the opportunity to bring this expert, international-level knowledge to the “Kricak” children and parents in an interactive, easy-to-digest format. Also, for the first time, the “Kricak” community learnt how to perform First Aid. PCI believes it is fundamentally important to facilitate disaster awareness to vulnerable communities that live in disaster-prone areas.
